Okay, I have had as much as I can take. We have to do something in this community about the tailmakers who are cheating our fellow mers with poor products. The unprofessionalism that has been allowed to fester has harmed too many people, and the way that "refunds" are given by tailmakers (usually after months of begging and denial) is simply WRONG. The tailbuyer should not have to suffer as the tailmaker refunds them bit by bit as they please. They should have to refund you just like any "real world" service--and if that means they lose their car or their house or whatever, well, that is the price of business failure. These tailmakers create startups, and any decent entrepreneur knows that if it doesn't work out and it lands you in bankruptcy, well, that is your own fault. If you want to start a real business, take out a loan for startup rather than using money for items you haven't yet supplied to the buyers to fund your business--you know, like a REAL business person.

There may not be a lot we can do on an individual basis, but we can draw up a few legal contracts that mers can offer their tailmakers to sign in order to protect themselves from shoddy work or work that never arrives. And if we all get behind the idea and no one is ABLE to sell tails without a fair legal contract then people will have to become more careful of when they decide to make tails. I am going to talk to my grandfather's lawyer, but here are a few things I think these contracts should include:

1) a refund clause
"No refunds" is BS, and I am sick if it being the norm in the Tailmaking community. Many tailmakers are incapable of doing good work, and this just allows them to hand out their shoddy work and then say "no refunds." Yes, I know that tails cost a lot to make, but be a big kid and TAKE OUT A LOAN for supplies if you want to be a real business. Otherwise get off the dock.

2) quality control statements
There should be images of what the product will resemble along with specifics: "smooth seams," "paint that does not come off with normal wear," "no tears on arrival," "smoothly poured silicone," etc. If quality control is not met, you should get a refund.

3) a time line
"this tail will be completed in 4-6 months." It is total crap that people "don't know" when their tails might be finished. It just shows that the tailmaker is not experienced enough to know how long a tail takes them to make or that they have taken on too many clients.

4) a clause regarding contact
"I will contact the client every four weeks with an update on their tails.

5) protection for tailmaker when it comes to GOOD work
"the tail will meet the quality of standards above and strongly resemble the description stated above, however, some artistic license will be granted as this is a work of individual art and may have some small variations to design. It will, however, meet all quality control standards and the artistic license may not be used to alter anything but small details noticed only on a micro spectrum." (AKA no giant pink dots on a tail cause they dropped pink silicone there and had to hide it.)

So what do you guys think? Is anyone here a lawyer? Are there any other clauses you think a contract should have?